CHAMPIONS! Warriors etch their name in history with CIF title

Posted 12-01-07

TEHACHAPI NEWS - After the game ended in last Friday’s title game, head coach Steve Denman told his players that they will be ‘remembered for all time’.

A team and brotherhood, the Tehachapi Warriors won their ninth section title with a 33-28 victory over Foothill, clinching their place as the Central Section Division III valley champions.

“These guys will go down in history as one of the greatest teams in Tehachapi Warrior football history,” said Steve Denman. “Alumni and former champions came from all across the nation to come watch their moment, and now they can take their place with them.”

A fired-up Tehachapi (12-1) squad wasted little time in finding the endzone at the start of the contest, with Adam Mullen capping a four play drive on the Warriors first possession to take a 7-0 lead. The score was a four yard run, supported off an interception by Franky Rodriguez on Foothill’s opening possession. Mullen later added a 57-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

Tehachapi’s early lead was short-lived, with Foothill (9-4) opening up the passing game early thanks to two long scoring catches that went the distance for a 14-7 advantage.

A see-saw battle ensuing, Foothill (9-4) continued to counter Tehachapi punch-for-punch, with another score right before halftime to go up 21-14.

“They really got us that first half,” said senior linebacker Alek Taliulu. “They were an aggressive hard hitting team, but it was a team effort for us too. We knew we needed to come out in the second half and come out strong.”

And come out strong they did, with the Warriors out-scoring the Trojans 19-7 en route to their title.

The third quarter gave Tehachapi two key turnovers to help keep the game flow in Trojan territory. The Warriors capitalized when a deflected-pass found the hands of Garrett Coontz on the third drive of the second half for a six yard touchdown. With the fog thickening, a majority of the Tehachapi fans in attendance did not even see the Coontz touchdown conversion play itself, but erupted when the referees lifted their hands in the air to verify the score.

Jeff Waldram’s interception set up the touchdown, with his pick at midfield and race to the Foothill 10-yard line helping to get the Warriors back in the game.

“Their quarterback was really getting on our secondary, the first half he just picked us a part,” Waldram said. “But on the interception I just caught a beat on (Tommy Hunley’s) route and just went for it and just ran hard down the sideline.”

Ehren Ochsenrider had his best game as a Warrior in a seven completion, 164 yard passing night and three scores, and his biggest touchdown conversion to date coming late in the fourth quarter of the championship.

Down 21-20, Tehachapi took their first lead sine their opening series of the contest when Ochsenrider connected with JJ Balkar for a 42-yard catch-and-score, sending the home crowd in a vivacious frenzy and giving the Warriors a 26-21 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

“I had the best quarterback in the central section this year, hands down,” said an emotionally spent Balkar after the game. “That catch was the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. I was on top of the world after I caught it. It was all team though, all of us made it happen.”

After a Derek Lange sack forced a turnover on downs on Foothill’s next series on offense, senior runningback Kelly Lorenz capped the win with a 5-yard touchdown run to put Tehachapi up for good.

At the conclusion of the game, the Tehachapi players clustered near midfield in a mosh eruption, and were later joined by their Tehachapi High classmates sprinting from the stands as Coy Burnett became clouded with bodies in celebration on the cold foggy night.

“We are a small community that is tight-knit, close,” added Denman. “This game was as big as it gets, and our kids answered the call and came away champions. Their success is etched in history now.”

Hit and Fly!

2007 Championship DVD/Football Get a piece of history, click to order!

	A message from Head Coach Steve Denman We would like to thank the community, school district, and THS administration for all of their hard work and support this past year. It was an amazing season and we couldn’t have done it without the support of all of you. The championship atmosphere looked wonderful, and we want to thank the THS support staff for bringing in extra bleachers for the game, the tireless work from administration and the grounds crew to get the field ready ever Friday, everyone who volunteered their time in the press box, snack bar, ticket booths, security, and our wonderful parents, students, and fans that came out each and every Friday. We also want to thank our many sponsors throughout the year in fundraising and support, some of which included the Warrior Booster Club, Mayor Ed Grimes and the city, Prestige Homes, Double-R Car Co, City Slickers, M&M Sports, Larry Campbell and Save Mart, and so many of the other countless businesses in town who donated their time and financial support for the game programs and spot donations. We thank all of Tehachapi for being there for our kids. This is your championship too and we share it with all of you!
	SSL championship TRI-FECTA! For the first time in central section history...and after extensive research....for the the first time in California state history, THREE teams won section championships from the same league! It would be tough to argue that the 2007 South Sequoia League was not one of the strongest seasons in the history of the league.  Congratulations to the Warriors for winning the title in the best season of SSL history!
	CIF CENTRAL SECTION DIVISION BRACKET (FOOTBALL) DIVISION I DIVISION II DIVISION III (Tehachapi no.1 seed) DIVISION IV (Taft no.1 seed) DIVISION V (Bakersfield Christian no.2 seed)
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